Adjustable louver and panel shutters, including specifically shutters of modulus rigid molded plastic construction, have heretofore been proposed in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,966 (Foltman) teaches an adjustable-length shutter which comprises a pair of extruded side rails having respective single-channel tracks disposed in opposition. Louvered panels are injection molded with integral side runners which are slidably received in the opposing tracks. Upper and lower cross pieces are fastened to the side rails by fasteners to hold the panels in place. Adjustment of the height dimension of the shutter is accomplished by cutting the side rails to the desired length, and then cutting the louvered panel(s) as required to fit within the available opening. This necessarily requires careful measuring and cutting, on the job site, in order to achieve an esthetically pleasing result. Furthermore, for practical purposes, the height adjustment is restricted to increments equal to the spacing of the louvers in the louvered panel, as cutting the panel at an intermediate position within a louver slat produces an unsightly result. Finally, Foltman '966 does not provide any means of adjusting the width of the shutter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,110 (MacLeod) adjustable-length shutter which comprises a pair of extruded side rails having respective single-channel tracks disposed in opposition. Louvered panels are injection molded with integral side runners which are slidably received in the opposing tracks. Upper and lower cross pieces are fastened to the side rails by fasteners to hold the panels in place. Adjustment of the height dimension of the shutter is accomplished by cutting the side rails to the desired length, and then assembling the shutter so that a portion of one louvered panel is received within (and concealed by) the upper cross piece. While the shutter of MacLeod '110 permits a finer adjustment of the length of the shutter, the fact that the upper portion of the louvered panel is received within the top cross piece means that the severely limits the extent to which the height can be adjusted without producing an unsightly result.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,932,599 (Jansons et al.) teaches a height-adjustable shutter comprising a pair of opposed vertical frame members secured by top and bottom members to define a rectangular frame. A plurality of slats or louvers are pivotally mounted within the frame. Height adjustment is accomplished by means of legs which extend downwardly from the vertical frame members, and parallel horizontal slots provided on the bottom member. The legs are designed to be cut on site to a desired length, and a boot having a generally hollow U-shaped cross-section is fitted on the bottom of the shutter between the severed legs and in engagement with one of the horizontal slots of the bottom member.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,191,242, (Rauen), 3,797,186 (Smith), and 3,968,738 (Matzke) also teach adjustable shutters.
One problem with adjustable length shutter assemblies of the prior art is a requirement that components of the shutter must be cut or trimmed on site. In some cases, fairly complex cutting or trimming operations are required for tailoring overall length at the installation site. The side rails in Foltman '966, for example, are cut to length in a stepped, rather than a planar, configuration. In Frederick '079, the integral panel and side rail must be trimmed to length and then slotted to receive the end rails. Cutting and trimming of shutter components requires the use of proper tools and a high degree of skill in order to achieve a fine finish of the cut components and thus an esthetically pleasing finished shutter.
Another problem with adjustable shutter assemblies of the prior art is that they typically permit adjustment of only one overall dimension, usually length. However, in order to achieve a "custom-fitted" appearance, it will frequently be desirable to adjust both the length and width of the shutter assembly.